Jarvis Church

0:00So why don't we start with that? What brought you to Sam's catalog? How come you chose to take his songs on for this record? And you know, I wanted to solve singers that have required me and had an impact on me. And I thought he was a good place to start. I mean, he's one of my favorites, but he, you know, you sort of referred to him. So I thought he'd be a great place to start my,

0:49I was recently reading his biography called Dream Boogie. You know, I didn't know his life. And it was just, you know, I was really just fascinated by his whole story. I got, you know, kind of immersed in it. And I just, it just was sort of, everything kind of came together. And it just, what about his life interested you so much? Was it the way he went about his music career? Was his upbringing? What did you, what really influenced your choice for this record? The way that he wrote songs, I think, you know, the fact that he, he, he seemed to be one of those artists that, you know, it's like he wrote music the way he wanted to. The songs he wrote were very

1:48conversational, they were really just sort of like, you know, you would say that, you know, songs are really just like something someone would say to you on the street, you know, it needs to have that sort of relatability. And, and I very much agree with that. Is that how you've always approached songwriting? You know, not all ways actually, to be honest, when I first started, it was exactly the opposite. You know, it's like, the first songs I wrote were like, you know, it was almost like, I was a mathematician and I was cracking some sort of code, you know, it was a very kind of artic. And there was just a lot of different, I mean, there was a lot of my own sort of emotional

2:36insecurities, like this wrapped up into the songs that I was writing. I mean, the very first song, it's like you want to, you want to write a song that nobody else has written and you don't want it to sound like anything. And you know, the worst thing felt back then is when someone says, hey, this kind of sounds like something else, you know, you know, for me now, that's really what I go for. I mean, I always want to write songs that sound like something else. That's interesting. You say that in that little mini documentary on your website there about creating songs that sound like they've been written. So let's talk about that because I was listening to the record yesterday and I hear do it better. And I'm like, this doesn't, I don't, I don't know this Sam Cook tune. Maybe it's a B side or something and then do a little research day, I find out, no, it's an original, but it fits in so well with the rest of the record that I never would have known. So I guess talk about writing that one and approaching that one.

3:27Well, that's part of this whole project that I'm really excited about. I love, you know, it's really cool to sort of take these great songs to love and then just sort of try to add some of your own that sort of context to put these new songs in. That song, it was just the same thing. I mean, you know, I wrote it with Michael Case and, you know, I would just, we were just jamming and it was like, you know, I wanted it to, you know, we were just sort of, you know, and it was really like once you catch the vibe,

4:14I would really just let the song be itself, you know, let it just kind of go on and do what it wants to do. And that was it, like we wrote it in like, you know, 20 minutes, really just, yeah, it should do this, it should do this, it should be this, great. And then I'm going to bring it to the lyrics. I wrote, I wrote the lyrics later. I mean, the lyrics took me a few, a few, I may be about a week to write a punch line and a lot of things would take a while to think of, but just the essence of the song we had in 20 minutes. Are you aiming to write something like Sam would have written? Were you looking to try and do that? Adlerically, maybe? That song to me is kind of akin lyrical. It's all these different analogies and it's all,

5:11you know, everything is sort of put the smile on your face, each line. And how is it recorded? Did you try and do the record like they would have done back in the day with everyone in one room, just roll tape and go for it? Because it kind of looked that way in the video that I saw online, except everyone's, I guess, in separate rooms because we can do that nowadays. Yes. Is it was that new to you? Because I imagine the King's records and even your solo

6:00stuff probably wouldn't have been done that way. I could be wrong, but just given the time frame. No, but what is that? Oh, okay. That's an interesting decision. You think the studios and the labels would have put, no, the studios, I guess the labels would have pushed for a very, it was the 90s, right? So everything was very do it separately. Or am I wrong in that? Yeah. Well, let's talk about the live show. I guess it'll be next weekend, although I'll print this next week. How will a setlist work? Will it be a lot of these Sam Cook songs?

6:50Will it be maybe some Marvin Gaye stuff too, Smokey for maybe the next couple of Soul Station Discs or King songs? What will it be here? That's great. What was I going to say? So what

7:43are the, what do you keep mentioning? It's a series. So what are the next couple that we're going to hear? Have you started to think of which artist you want to tackle? I'm keeping a secret. Okay. Got you. I like that. What was the first song? When you went into this, obviously you've got your favorites. I heard Steel Away is one of your personal favorites, but is that the first one you wanted to tackle? Did you want to start with the one that you love the most? Yeah, I, I mean, I love all these songs.

9:02Were any songs, were any songs difficult? Were any, were any parts hard for you to sing? I guess you, you've worked on these songs for a while, but did anything, it was any, I don't know, Sam's got such an interesting voice. Then it must have been daunting to try and, I don't know, recreate some of that. Yeah, yeah, a little bit. I mean, I don't really have to. I don't have to talk, talking about doing

10:09the songs justice, you know, a change is going to come as one of those landmark songs in, in, in music that it was just so important back then and probably still a very important message that, that gets across now. Do you want to talk about that song a little bit? I mean, I'm never going to talk to Sam Cook. So I guess this is as close as I'll get to someone talking, talking about a change is going to come. Well, I'll say, you know, how to take everybody to that place. Yeah, it's one of,

11:07I like how your version, sorry, finish what you were to say, sorry. I was going to say probably the most challenging song to say too, because that, that first, you know, that first note is, you know, right at the top, you know, so. Well, so, and so does the track. Your version is a lot more rhythmic than the original. I was listening back there. Their strings are a lot higher in the mix and you seem to have the, the rhythm section higher. Yeah, I mean, why is that? I think that was interesting.

11:57We were at because, yeah, I don't know what. Do you do that as a producer on all the records? Like even on other people's records, do you try and if that's what you seem to enjoy? Do you, do you, I don't want to say push for it, but try and implement that? I mean, it's sort of like if you have drums and you track, then the drums are going to be audible. And if you don't, then you don't have drums at all. But to have drums that are really quiet, like they used to be. I don't know why. That's interesting. Before that, you go, we got to do

13:10something called five questions, five quick questions, one word answers. Okay, road or studio? Do our roads. Leonard or McCartney. When you hear a song, what usually hits you first lyrics, melody or rhythm song you've written, you're most proud of. And in one word, Jarvis Church. Entertain.